Raindrops
by Queen Vixen
Summary: Duo and Heero sit out and contemplate the rain.


**Okay, this is a little one-shot I've been meaning to get up since last weekend, but then I kind of got hit by a car (it says I'm a pedestrian on the police report) and that pushed my whole updating schedule back by a few days. But here it is! This fic was actually inspired by a conversation I had with my little sister, Gwen, on the way to Best Buy. The sky was really dark and it was gonna pour like crazy and we started talking about why we loved the rain. So, this one's for you Gwen! Don't forget to review!**

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            Duo breathed in the clean, fresh evening air as he sat on the soft grass that covered the hillside. The sun, it's bright orange rays warming his face, was quickly being covered by the ominous dark clouds rolling in from the west. The wind played around with the leaves and bits of grass, making them dance like marionettes without string.

            Feeling more than hearing the approach of someone else, Duo turned his head to see a lanky figure coming into view at the top of the hill. He watched the boy make his way down the hill with the same intense precision of the clouds covering the sun. The green tank top, rippling in the wind, reminded Duo of the grass and leaves being tossed around in front of him.

            Heero, eyes as ominous and dark as the clouds, was like an approaching storm in himself, and Duo could not help but love every little bit of it.

            "Duo!" Heero shouted down as he noticed the other boy looking at him. "What are you doing? A storm's coming!"

            Duo just smirked. "I know," he said, a serene little smile on his face. "I love this kind of weather."

            Snorting, Heero looked down at his ex-partner. He was just lying on his back on the hill with his arms crossed under his head, staring at the sky. And he was utterly breathtaking. His violet eyes, sparkling with mischief and wonder, were transfixed on the growing thunder heads that now covered the sky. Without warning, a hand shot up and latched itself around Heero's wrist.

            "Watch the rain with me."

            It wasn't a question, yet it wasn't a demand. The tone in Duo's voice suggested a need that he couldn't bring himself to say. Without a word, Heero laid down next to him, transferring Duo's hand to his own.

            "When I was a boy on the colony, I used to hate the rain. When you live on the streets, catching a cold could mean death, so we'd try to stay as dry as possible." Duo's voice, so normally loud and boisterous, had sunken to just above a whisper.

            A drop of moisture fell onto Heero's forehead, signaling the beginning of the storm.

            "Then, when I was at the Maxwell Church, Sister Helen told me of how beautiful storms on Earth could be. She would describe the sound, the winds, the smell, saying that the rain generators on the colonies could do no justice to such a perfect work of God." Growing in strength, Duo's voice emulated the pain and sorrow he felt from drudging up thoughts of such wonderful days gone by.

            Another drop, fuller than the first, splashed onto Heero's chest, followed by one that fell on his knee, and another on his cheek.

            "After we came to Earth, I was too caught up in the war to sit back and enjoy such simple pleasures of sitting in the rain. I'd watch the storms from inside our dorm rooms, wishing I could fling open the windows and jump outside. Then we went back into space and I'd thought it'd missed my chance. Another loss I could chock up to the war. One more beauty of life that I was going to be denied, all because I was a soldier." Bitterness had seeped into Duo's voice, a harsh sound of someone who had lost so much in so short a time. 

            The drops of rain, now falling to rapidly to count, splashed on Heero's smooth skin and clothes, sending a chill through his body. But he knew the storm had not even really started.

            "And then, after all the suffering and fighting, after all that pain and loss, the war was over. Just like that, it was done. I had survived, and now I had all the free time I could want. But I didn't care. Just like the enjoying the rain, I felt like I had missed something important. Like I had passed up a chance at what could make me happiest in the world. I'd thought I'd missed my chance at being with you. It had slipped through my fingers like a cloud." With this, Duo rolled onto his side, staring at Heero through the bangs that were slicked to his forehead.

            Running his words over in his head to get them just perfect, the Japanese ex-pilot rolled over and Prussian eyes met violet, giving off more electricity than the lighting overhead. 

            "Do you know why I like the rain, Duo?" Heero asked the boy, his eyes gazing through to Duo's soul. "Because it's unpredictable. It can start with a down pour out of nowhere, or it can trickle for hours. Lighting can leap out of the sky at any moment to kiss the Earth with its power, and then dance back up to the heavens to wait for another chance." His eyes told of countless years of obedience, forever fighting urges to be impulsive and unpredictable.

            "Because of its power. A storm has the ability to destroy, with flooding rains, fires from lighting, and wind that can pick up a car. But it also has the ability to be gentle, its light trickle giving much needed nourishment to wilting flowers and thirsty animals. It has the ability to both give and take life." As the rain poured down around them, Heero's eyes softened as he stared back at the other boy, the rain blurring his vision.

            "Because of its beauty. The terrible, yet wonderful grey of the storm clouds that signals the coming rains paints the sky with perfection. They also help the young flowers to spread their petals, painting the world in color."

            Duo was taken aback. Having never heard Heero talk like this, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Feeling a reassuring squeeze on the hand still clutched in Heero's, their eyes once again met.

            Taking one last deep breath, Heero continued. "Do you know why I love you?" He stared into the violet eyes, hoping he was doing the right thing. When Duo only stared at him blankly and shook his head, Heero went on. "Because you're unpredictable. You're a live wire, always ready and raring to go. You always seem to want to do something, as opposed to sitting around. I'm never quite sure what you're going to do next." He just smiled at Duo, who stared at him in disbelief.

            "Because you're powerful. While in Deathscythe, you had the ability to take countless numbers of lives. The choice of who lived and died was in your hands. But you're also gentle. You killed as few as possible, and always mourned the losses. And you gave me life. Your light and love brought out my own emotions that I had thought were lost forever. You're my savior." 

            His voice turned serious as he finished what he had been yearning to say for what seemed like forever. "Because you're beautiful. You have a light in your eyes that can belong to no other. I can get lost in your eyes for hours, just staring into the intricacies of your soul. Your vibrant personality is brighter than any color in the rainbow, and three times as beautiful. You want everyone to be happy, even if you aren't. Well, I want you to be happy even if everyone else isn't." 

            Duo's throat had gone dry. Was Heero really saying these things to him? He couldn't imagine ever hearing anything to wonderfully poetic pour out of the mouth of the perfect soldier, but here it was. And what was even better was that it was directed at him, the common street rat from L2 who had never enjoyed the rain.

            "I think I love you Duo."

            Pulling themselves to each other, the two boys found warmth and comfort that they had never imagined existed. They had each other and all was right with the world. Their love blossomed as the rain, oblivious to everything happening on the Earth, continued to fall on their intertwined bodies. 

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**Aww! Look at how warm and snuggly it makes you! It's the first fanfic I've ever written that doesn't make me feel like taking a ton of Prozac after reading it. Now, I think you should all go review, since you've already made it this far, and tell me if my little foray into the romantic was a complete waste of time and I should stick with writing my little angst stories in my little angst corner, or you liked it and think that I'm not a complete failure. Now go!**

~Queen Vixen


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